Subduing the Flames
by FluffaWumpkins
Summary: A young starlet must learn to integrate her new life with her old, while trying to keep face in front of millions of fans. She's then forced to reevaluate her whole outlook on things as she goes this change.


**Subduing the Flames**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything, except the plot…or at least I think I own the plot, not sure if there something else like this out there. **

**Chapter One:**** Introduction**

_Love was always a sore spot for the infamous Rei Hino. It had never been something that she was very fond of. It had caused her a lot of pain and she truly shied away from it when it presented it's self. The very thought of her being in love had been unimaginable and all that knew her knew that it was a dangerous subject to speak on, especially when the contents of the conversation related directly to her. Yet, even though it held no place in her life, Rei Hino had to be famous for something. Ironically, It was very destructive powers of the 'L' word that made her rich beyond her expectations. The transition of her heart to paper and finally through her lips had landed the young talent in a world of fame and fortune. She had loved, but that softhearted affection constantly ended with lose, with the exception of a very small number of people. Her distaste for the feeling had started at a very young age and developed to the point where it was a bitter hatred that lurked in her heart. No one really knew the story behind her words and no one dared to ask. With her fans more then happy to just listen to her music and let her lyrical flow consume them, the star was always left to speak her mind without any questions._

_To the naked eye, Rei Hino was a fortunate girl who was blessed with a wonderful voice and a poetic mind. But to the people who knew the girl well, she was someone with a long past and had plenty of experience to speak of. It seemed that the fated ill will towards the warm devotion began when she was introduced with death for the first time._

_It all began with a small child running ahead of a fairly young couple walking side by side. Dressed in a orange and red polo dress with a smile burning brightly on her face, she chased around a helpless butterfly, trying to capture the creature in her tiny grasp. The orange and black colors blurred back and forth in a zig zag motions as it tried to escape the tragic fate that only a curious child could bestow upon it. But even the most agile of things couldn't stand up against the determination of a Hino, and it showed as it was enclosed into the small pale hand. Rei stop running once she caught her prize and found herself skidding to a stop, unknowingly tightening the muscles in her fist._

_She looked down with anticipation, wondering if the winged beauty would fly away if she open her hand. But she spent so much energy and effort to gain possession of the butterfly and didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see it up close. With a deep breath, she opened up her hand to see the wild creature._

_It didn't seem to be the once lively blur that she had been so entranced by. In fact, it looked completely different from the majestic insect that darted whimsically through the flowers. Its once solid body was now flat and appeared to forcing out a white liquid and its colorful wings were crushed. It rested on her palm like an unsolved puzzle, it's pieces scattered about. Rei looked down at the motionless bug and thought that she saw it move one of its antennas, but that hope was quickly blown away with the wind as some of the crushed pieces from her hand blew off. The young child let out a small whimper as the well-known tears began welling up in her violet eyes. A few drops rolled down her chubby checks and land in a pool on her palm. But warmth was quick to take over the coldness that overcame her, as she was lifted from the ground and pressed into a firm body._

_Rei allowed the floodgates to open and cried harder. But it didn't last long. With the circular rubbing of her back, paired with the soft whispers of encouragement, the need to cry away her hurt felt pointless. The tenderness that surrounded her made her forget all about her pain. She pushed herself up and found herself staring into the crystal blue eyes of the man that served as her protector. He smiled at her and leaned his chin in to rub against her wet cheek, causing her to lean back and giggle as the dark stubble tickled her face. He began to laugh with her, glad to see his child happy again. Their laughter rang throughout the park, causing the young woman who had been patiently watching the two to laugh as well._

_Once all amusement subsided, the young woman grabbed hold of the child's hand and examined what was left of the squashed bug. Rei had managed to smear half the contents on the young man's jacket, from where she had been holding on and now she was watching the leading lady in her life wipe her hand vigorously to get the leftovers off. But seeing her do this reminded her of what she was just crying about in the first place and sadness took over the fickled child again._

_"Mommy, I hurt him." Rei half yelled, half-squeaked. The small child looked angrily away from the group, feeling the burning sensation growing in her nose._

_"Please love, you didn't mean to."_

_"I didn't. I just wanted to see what it looked like. But I hurt it." She could feel the soft rumbling in her father's chest as he began to laugh. Both her and the young woman looked up shocked._

_"You didn't hurt him."_

_"I didn't." Rei asked confused. She looked up with watery eyes, in hope of an explanation._

_"No, of course not. That little guy knew that you loved butterflies so much, that he stayed and flew around the park all day. After that little game of tag, he got so tired that he wanted to go home, but he didn't want to hurt your feelings and stayed a tiny bit longer. But when he did decided to leave, you caught him. And it just so happened that at that very moment you caught him, he took off his coat and flew away."_

_"So that was his coat Papa?"_

_"Yup." The young woman looked at the blonde man with deep affection as he went on to console his child. Rei seemed amazed with the newfound information and much happier now then what she was a few seconds ago. It was quite a tale he told her, but it was straight from the goodness of his heart. As she watched the two plant sloppy kisses on each other faces, a sight of blue flutter passed her own. It was the perfect end to their day in the park and Rei's mother acted upon it._

_"See, he came back to thank you for playing with him." Her mother gently cupped the butterfly in her hands and held it up to her child's face. Rei watched as the blue and yellow wings flapped frantically against her mother's soft skin and gasped in shock when she seen her mother bring her hands closer to her small face. Slowly moving her hands apart, the woman allowed the butterfly to jump up on the round bump that that acted as Rei's tiny nose. Her violet eyes automatically crossed so that she could get a good view, but once she was able to see it clearly, it flew off in a mix of colors. She giggled as the lightweight insect left a tickled feeling on her nose. The smile never left her face as she was placed back down on the ground to resume her search of nature to quench her curiosity._

"Lying bastard." Rei mumbled as she shook away the memory of her and her parents. They were both no more. Death had taken the two away, abandoning her in darkness.

Anger could hardly described the young girl as she stormed through the hotel lobby, her friend hot on her heels. She was seething with an emotion that would put Hades to rest, the signs of it dying down no where to be seen. With her tight black dress hugging the curves of her slim body, she made for a masterpiece of admiration, unconsciously twisting her hips back and forth as she walked. Everybody who worked in the hotel knew that when she was like that, then it's best to stay out her way or they'd find themselves on the other end of a tongue-lashing filled with slick insults and sarcastic jabbing. Her self-control so unbelievable that she would bite her tongue off before she raised her hand to anyone, thus throwing any chances of a lawsuit out the window. So all knew that to avoid being humiliated and berated by someone much younger themselves, they'd keep quiet and allowed her to vent herself undisturbed in her room.

The young girl's black toes clicked forcefully on the ground as she waited for the elevator to come to a stop and let her in. Her eyes darted from the buttons onto a poor boy that dared to jerk his thumb at her and whisper something to his friend. With one look at him, he shrunk back with a nervous smile, having no choice but to accept the snicks and sniggers the staff had to offer. After the thankful sound of the elevator ding's rung throughout the lobby, the girl rushed on, ignoring the confused man that had been trying so desperately to calm her down.

Although she was a demon to be around when angry, she made up for it with her beauty. And once that steel door shut, disconnecting her from the rest of the lobby, the bag boy released a wolf whistle, earning him smiles from the other gentleman. The ladies on the other hand, mumbled words of distaste and made no effort to hide their scathing thought of her. The young girl was a pretty one. Her violet eyes flashed dangerously at whom ever crossed her path with the wrong intention in mind. The beautiful orbs shining a brilliant shade of purple that where neither to dark or to light, the perfect shade that complimented the long waves of hair on her head. Ending at the back of her knees, the girl was left to comb through a thick tangle of black that shone a wonderful shade of dark violet when hitting the light. Many people adored the luscious locks and the wave of silky mass that moved so gracefully alongside her every step as if it were with a mind of its own. With her delicate features and smooth pale skin, her pictures hanging on the wall was worth the jealous female stars that demanded they get the same treatment. Still in her teen years, her body made for quite a piece of eye candy, the kind that most men and women alike tried to savor. Whether it be from gaining some kind of personal pleasure from it or keeping it as a way of showing off their favorite idol, people paid good money to have a picture, poster or sketch of the dark haired girl.

While everyone downstairs went about their business, the young girl was pacing back and forth in the living area of her suite, not happy at all. A young man sat not to far from her, watching in confusion. He opened his mouth intent on saying something, but it seemed as if he rethought what he was about to say and settled for a faint smile. The girl caught the smile before he could hide it and set her seething eyes on him. Unlike the boy who found himself to be a nervous wreck after her steely gaze, the young man look unaffected by her anger. He patted the seat next to him, inviting her to sit down. Instead, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned her head, snubbing the thought. His smile grew at the girl's action, realizing that the only way to solve the problem is to use a tactful amount of force and persuading words. He stood up and carefully approached the girl; his hands outstretched and ready to pull her in his arms. Once she came into range, he wrapped his arms around her and forced her head against her chest. As a mother would a child, he rubbed the back of her head, causing her silky black hair to clump and tangle in a circular motion. The sounds of a low growl reached his ears and he knew that he had probably angered the girl some more, but that didn't stop him from making soothing sounds, acting as if she were but a small child and he was the comforting adult.

"Now, now honey. How about we watch some cartoons, will that make you feel better?"

"That's not funny Mamoru?" She shoved him in the stomach, not finding his display of parental affection to be amusing. One thing she couldn't stand was being mocked, and mocking her he was. Groaning in pain, he pulled away from the girl, thinking that his plan would be best done at a distance. Mamoru moved over to the window, where he was able to see the bright lights of the city starting to turn on. It seemed her anger grew more as the dark fell closer upon them, there was no telling what would happen once all the lights was up and it was officially nighttime. Turning his head slightly, he caught a glimpse of the young girl parading around the living room area once again, her forceful back and forth motion causing her hair to whip wildly around her. Chancing himself one more time, he turned himself fully and leaned against the wooden frame that held the glass.

"I had no idea that talking to your manager could be this bothersome." The young girl looked up after hearing him speak. The man was a sight to behold standing in the light of the falling sun, his skin a glow with orange hues. With black hair that hung neatly around his face, the man made up for a humanized version of an artfully crafted sculpture. He held blue captivating eyes that seemed to lock onto the young girl; the crystal like shade brought out by the black turtleneck that fit snugly to his body. He smiled lazily at her, finding her daze like trance to be more amusing then concerning. It was amazing how quickly she transformed into the mild, transfixed beauty compared to the ferocious beast that he had to shield everyone from. She had always amazed him; there was just never a dull moment. Even as she pressed her head against her shoulder, letting her anger fade away into the comforting hold of his arm around her waist.

Sighing heavily, the girl allowed her gaze to roam over the city. Soon she would be out there, walking into a place that only meant harsh effects on her part. While everyone sat and quietly wondered why she was so upset, only one person took it upon himself to explore the problem. It was the same person she was giving the most grief, the one person who didn't deserve it. Snuggling her head deeper into his shoulder, the girl smiled as the smell of his cologne filled her nose.

"So Rei, what do I owe to this pleasantly nauseating situation?"

"Photo shoot gone wrong." She said with a sigh, all anger gone from her voice. With the image of a group of variedly age people running amuck in a professional setting, Mamoru couldn't help the snicker that rushed inadvertently through his lips. He was sure she was going to get angry with that, but she sighed again, this time pushing herself up and walking over to the couch. Rei threw herself over; ignoring all forms of mannerism that should have been taken in consideration based on her dress and background.

"What happened?" There had to be some long deep-rooted problem that was associated with the photo shoot, otherwise they wouldn't be in the situation at all. Leaning over the couch, he stared down at his dark haired friend, waiting for an explanation. Her lips remained in a firm line, the obvious fact that she was not going to speak was clearly written on her face. He wanted to ask again, but when Rei was in her own world, it was either you played by her rules or leave it alone completely. Opting for the former, Mamoru moved to sit in a loveseat situated right in front of the couch. When she wanted to talk, he would be right there to listen.

As he laid his head down against the back of the chair, the young man couldn't help but glance over to the beauty sitting across from him. Her eyes were closed and she was mouthing something to herself, a trait he found that was done only in cases of nervousness. Obviously this thing was more then a bad picture being taken, it had to be something that affected the girl in a more then horrible way. He could always play the guessing game, drop hints on what he thought it was and wait for her to make some form of response. Or he could go ahead and bug her in the most annoying of ways until she flat out told him her troubles. Either way, Mamoru was set on finding out the problem, even if it killed him.

With that thought in mind, the dark haired gentlemen began to laugh. The very thought of Rei walking out the hotel in handcuffs had seemed to be quite amusing. There was no doubt in his mind that she would never go so far as to kill someone over something so petty, but the thought was far from impossible and it provided him with a good laugh….a laugh in which he clearly wanted to take back after seeing the angry vixen on the couch.

"How come I'm not laughing?" It wasn't a question that meant for an answer that was directly related to her, but a way of asking the young man 'what was so funny'. Not being one to wither and shrink at the stare of his normally scowling friend, Mamoru put on his best silent face and turned his head to the side. Two could play at the game of secrets, but only one could win. And it seemed that Mamoru was winning, for Rei lifted herself from the couch and sat down on the coffee table that was separating him from her. Leaning against his knees, Rei stared expectantly into his face, waiting for him to just spill the beans. Instead of caving into those captivating amethyst eyes, he lifted his chin higher in the air, mimicking her earlier stubbornness. It was obvious from the deep frown on her face and the slight redness that found it's way on her cheek, that Rei was upset. Not happy at all with Mamoru's attitude, she shifted all her weight into her arms, thus causing her friend to take most of the pain into his knees. He hissed quietly, trying his hardest not to crack at her aggression. But Rei wasn't giving up that easy. Fixing a smile on her face, she leaned back and off of Mamoru, watching as his face relaxed quite noticeably. "Fine, don't tell me. It's probably nothing worth talking about anyway."

"When did you become so childish?"

"About the same time you did." Standing up she stormed into the bedroom, not interested in conversing with Mamoru anymore. He wasn't doing such a good job in cheering her up and seemed only to be making the situation worse. That left him once with two options. Either he could go after her and apologize for being a jerk, or he could just sit there and wait for her to come back out and admit to her mistake. This time settling for the latter, Mamoru lifted his feet onto the coffee table and made himself comfortable. After deciding on a choice like that, he knew he would be there for some time.

In the bedroom, Rei stared angrily at her bed with no thoughts of what was going on around her. Her time with Mamoru was quickly forgotten and now she was focused on different things. Things like the hours to come, causing her anger to rise much higher then anything she had ever felt before. There were only a few things that could push her to such heights, and the one thing at the top of that list just requested her presence at dinner. At the sweet glorious age of Twenty, the freedom of making choices for oneself had become a god given right to all those leaving their teen-hood. Things didn't seem to be going that way for the beautiful star.

She was raised to be respectful to anyone and everyone that crossed her path. Not only that, she was raised to always put family first and hold them in the highest regards…even if the meant swallowing her pride and allowing her father the satisfaction of knowing that he still held some form of control over her, even if it was indirectly. The old man was lucky they shared the same blood and they held some common ground. If not for the saint that had took her in at the tender age of eight, she would not be putting up with his crap. Her grandfather had been the one that held the connection with her father strong when she wanted nothing more then to sever it. Even after drifting away from her Grandfather due to the forces of fame, she had unknowingly keep the connection alive and well. All thanks to her desire to honor her beloved guardian, she had unconsciously allowed her dreaded father to stay in her life. Now he had called for her to eat dinner with him. The out of the blue request sat unsettlingly with her, yet she agreed to it anyway.

Denying one blood would be to deny one's own existence, or so she was taught. With an unladylike grunt, Rei pulled the black dress over her head and tossed it onto the bed. The slinky piece landed on the edge and slipped right off. Ignoring it, she moved over to her luggage and began digging through the bag. The first thing she pulled out was a red T-shirt. With a smirk, she began to contemplate wearing that to the very civil and fancy restaurant that her father had picked out. After realizing how bad that would look on her part, she dug back in and pulled out a dark blue sweater. The cotton material rubbed comfortably against her finger, brining a smile on her face. It was her favorite sweater, a gift from a very special man in her life. Without a second thought, Rei threw the sweater over her shoulder and onto the bed. That was just one thing her father didn't deserve. Going for the bag again, the young star pulled out a black tube top. As much as she wanted to embarrass the man, the revealing piece was not something that called for the occasion. There was no doubt in her mind that the press would go crazy to get her meeting her father in the revealing shirt.

With frustration clearly written on her face, Rei moved over to the temporary closet and began fishing through the clothes on the hanger. Her hand fell upon a dark purple, cowl neck dress. It was plain, it was chic…it was perfect. Wasting no time, she pulled the number over her head and examined herself in the body length mirror. Frustration quickly molded into satisfaction as she took in the slim, toned body that she worked so hard to get. Now all she had to do was hair and makeup and be on her merry little way.

As she was going for her makeup bag, the young starlet had a change of heart. Instead of prettying herself up any further she would go as it. Her face was clean, her hair was comb, she looked presentable. With a smile on her face, she made her way for the door. Her grandfather always told her to honor her father, no matter what she thought of him. He never said she had to pull out all the stops to impress him.

"I'll have what you're having." Mamoru mumbled as he watched his friend walk out the bedroom and over to her abandon shoes. She had walked into the room completely pissed off and came out with one of the biggest smiles on her face. No more then fifteen minutes had passed before she had done a full 360 on her attitude, not mention she was wearing something completely different.

"Are you still here?"

"On second thought…no I won't." Perhaps he thought too soon. The scowl on Rei's face was back full blast and once again he was faced with the dragon he accompanied up here.

"Look Mamoru, I have some very important things I need to get done. So to make a long story short, you have to leave." His bottom lip jutted out and his brows creased very softly. He was doing that face that got her every time…the sad puppy face. If there was one person in the world that could get her to cave, it was him with that face.

"You gonna kick your Chiba Bear out." So sad and innocent he sounded. Rei tried to look away, but he grabbed onto her arm and forced her to face him. There was no way she could win against those blue eyes, no way in hell.

"It's not because I want to, but because I have to." Judging from her dress, the young girl was clearly intended to go out to a special place. The thought of her ditching him for the sake of some date turned that hurt face into one of anger. Mamoru began to let go of Rei as he slowly started to make his way for the door. He definitely had no time for this and would not stand to waste it any longer. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Maybe it was fact that you invite me here to have lunch with you on a very extremely busy day of my life. Or maybe it was because you cut that lunch short after a single phone call and we instead end up taking a three-hour ride in silence to a hotel. And once in that hotel, you act like you don't want me around. Then you walk out during a conversation, come back in and demand I leave so you can go on your date with your…"

"Who said anything about a date you moron. I have to go meet with my father for dinner, as if that was any of your business." Rei had cut him off completely, yelling back in his face. Such assumptions without any proof landed him on an even darker side of Rei. Turning her back on the stunned man, she plopped down on the couch and began to put back on her heels. While she did that, Mamoru stood there, staring at her, face set in shock…what a major mistake on his part. There was no mistaking the pain in her voice; he had definitely crossed the line.

"Wow, when the hell did he call and how come you didn't tell me?" She didn't answer. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared straight ahead. "So that's why you was so upset at lunch huh? Your father wants to have dinner with you…Come one, you didn't actually expect me to know that!"

"No, but you shouldn't go around questioning my every move. I don't do it to you and I don't get mad when leave me out in the cold for Cortez." Rolling his eyes at the mention of the female, Mamoru made his way over to where Rei was sitting.

"Rei, Rei, Rei…what am I to do with you?" He asked while raising a hand and rubbing it through her hair. She swatted him away, all the while a smile forming on her pink lips. There was very few people that could touch her in such away, only a number that could be counted on her hands. She took great pride in the people she hung out with and Mamoru was one was her best friends. Her anger at him would last no more then minutes, seeing as how he always found a way to fall back into her good grace. "I had a dream about this."

"Did you?"

"Yeah. You think I might be psychic?" He asked while rubbing his chin in thought. Rei stared at him in disbelief, but when it seemed like he really meant it she decided to carry on with his ego trip and allow him that satisfaction.

"Tell me about your dream and I'll give you an answer."

"Well…you went to dinner with your Dad and mind you, you're very upset. While you guys are eating, he says something to you and you stab him with your steak knife." Mamoru waved his had frantically in the air, using wild gesture to help tell his tale. Rei smiled at the young man, his face so serious and in deep concentration. Maybe he really did have that dream…either way, the story sounded pretty believable in her mind. Jumping up quickly, Mamoru grabbed both Rei's hands and yanked her up from the couch. "What do you think?"

"Ummm…yes, you're naturally talented in the arts of foresight, although I honestly don't think he's worth going to jail for."

"Heat of the moment, who knows what you might do." He winked at the thoughtful girl who appeared to be taking his words to heart. It was true, the young girl obviously valued her life and career far too much to destroy it for a man that held little purpose to her.

"I'm pretty sure that it won't come to that." The certainty in her voice was clear as she brushed Mamoru off her arm and moved towards the door. What was also clear was the fact that she had no intention on further the conversation. Lifting her bag from the small stand that stood near the door, she began checking to make sure everyone that she needed was in there.

"Do you want me to come or not? I'm trying to do you a favor here, the least you could do is accept." Rei stopped what she was doing and looked expectantly at the young man, waiting for him to explain himself, but when nothing came of it, she rolled her eyes and went back to what she was doing. "Ingrate." Mamoru mumbled dryly before picking up his jacket and moving to stand near Rei.

"You can come if you want, but I don't see what good it would do anyone." Placing the bag back on the stand, Rei lifted her black leather jacket and with the help of her friend, slid it onto her bare arms. The fit was perfect and curving around her body to provide her with warmth without the bulky appearance.

"Trust me love…you're going to want me to be there. Besides, you still owe me for paying for your lunch." With a knowing look in his eye, Mamoru pushed the dark haired beauty out the door before she had a chance to say anything.

* * *

"Call me old fashion but I was always led to believe that when you invite someone somewhere, your suppose to be present when they arrive." Rei mumbled as she looked once more at the plain black band watch on her wrist. After hearing the low remark, Mamoru couldn't help but laugh. His friend had always been patient, slipping every once in a while, but this was a whole new look.

"You said that you were supposed to meet him at nine."

Raising a brow, Rei leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "So?"

"So, he's one minute late. Give him a chance to park his car or something." Just as the words left his mouth, a woman walked over to the table, a big smile brightening her face. The look of anger quickly faded from Rei's features as she took in the beauty. Shiny blonde hair was neatly pinned on her head in a updo, held in place by a topaz-encrusted clip. Green eyes glistened with unshed tears of happiness as she pulled her hands behind her back, obviously trying to contain herself. Her dark red lips were twisted into a big smile, revealing pearly white teeth. The woman was much older then Rei, the making of tiny wrinkles putting her in her late thirties or early forties. She held an air of peace about her, somehow making the dark star feel at ease. Releasing a smile of her own, Rei stood from her chair and lifted her hand for the woman to shake.

"Ellen Gutenburg and it is a real pleasure to meet you." The woman shot out before Rei had a chance to introduce herself. As she pumped their hands wildly up and down, excitement filled her heavily accented German voice. Once she realized what she was doing, she quickly dropped Rei's hand and opted to just grin.

"It's nice to meet you Ellen," Her grin grew into a huge smile as the young girl called her by her first name. "But, I'm supposed to be meeting someone right now and…"

"Oh, your father is one his way, he got held up at the office." Rei's seemed shocked at the volunteered information and quickly recovered as she slid back into her chair. This Ellen woman was probably just another secretary or something. As Rei took her seat, her eyes fell upon her friend who had been staring at the woman for quite sometime. Tilting her head to side, she gently kicked her friend in the leg. Reluctantly, he moved his eyes from off Ellen and sent an angry glare towards Rei. In response, she raised both her eyebrows in a questioning manner, finding her friend's behavior to be strange. The woman was much older then him and apparently married, sporting a diamond ring on her finger. Her silent question was soon answered as he nodded his head towards the tall woman. Looking up, she had to take a deep breath at the sight that met her eyes.

The woman had begun taking off her coat and accompanying that amazing diamond ring on her finger was a large stomach. Rei noted with fascination at how far Ellen's green camisole was poking out, indicating that a life had been resting inside her, obviously preparing to come out. As she realized that the newly introduced blonde was soon to give birth, the indecency on her father's part clearly filled her head. What kind of man made their secretary work under these conditions? Wasn't she entitled by law to some kind of leave? But, before she could open her mouth to voice her mind's question, a sharp pain entered her foot and she was forced to bite down on her lip to keep from screaming out. Rei's glare fell on Mamoru who had taken it upon himself to correct her rude mannerism. It was then that star realized that she had been staring rather darkly at the woman, causing the innocent looking thing to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Please, sit down." Rei said, jumping out her seat to allow the woman a place to sit. Even if she didn't like the fact that her father had brought a secretary along, the woman was pregnant and she wasn't going to make her stand until her father came. While still standing, she waved towards Mamoru, hoping that he would take the hint and introduce himself. Taking everything in stride, he stood himself and held out a hand, gesturing for the woman to shake without having to get up. Ellen smiled appreciatively, taking in how nice and polite they where.

"Mamoru Chiba at your service madam." He faked a German accent which Rei had to admit was pretty good. The young man had done a lot of travels in his years as a model, taking the world by storm. He had picked up on a few languages and even managed to mold his personality to adapt with the culture he was partaking in. The man was good in his field and one of the best models she had the pleasure of getting to know. Now he was making nice to an employee of her father's, the man really was one of the best. Taking a seat left of the woman, Rei sighed as she looked at her clock. Mamoru was quick to follow suit as he noted the impatients growing in his younger companion.

"When did you say my father was going to be here?" Rei asked her newly founded dinner guest. The woman was taken back by her forcefulness, though her eyes soon softened with understanding as she smiled at Rei.

"He'll be here soon."

"I don't know, sending his lackeys to perform his family duties has always been a custom for him." The young star mumbled in her native tongue, slipping momentarily in front of the kind stranger. While Mamoru offered her apologetic smile, all Ellen could do was stare at her with confusion. What exactly was that language she spoke?

"You're not speaking English." She stated rather then asked. The dark star couldn't help but relax with the innocence that surrounded the woman. Though she wouldn't out right say it, she was pretty glad that her dad had decided to send his secretary to dinner with him. As she looked into her green eyes, she could see the genuine ignorance of the language she just spoke and the fear of not fitting in clearly written on her face. As the young girl was thinking of something to say to put the older woman at ease, her partner came to the rescue with a charming smile.

"That was Japanese, a language both and Rei and myself speak fluently."

"Oh, yes, your father speaks that quite often. I tell him to shut up sometimes because he goes so fast that I think he speaking a language from a different planet." Laughter filled her voice as Mamoru helped her out. But now, it was Rei's turn to look confused and Ellen had to clear things up. "Ryoji told me that he was from Japan, but I assumed that you spoke English when he told me that you were living here in the U.S. The both of you speak so well that I thought he maybe moved his family here when you were a child, like myself. Though I can't seem to rid myself of the accent." She giggled even more, causing more frustration to grow in the teen. Never had she known an employee to be so loose as she was. Telling her father to shut up…not that he didn't deserve it, but how could Ellen possibly do that and still keep her job. Even she wasn't that stupid and she hated her father.

Lifting her cup to her lips, Rei took a sip of her water, her eyes slowly searching the room for some kind of understanding. This woman was a strange one. She was bold, beautiful and spoke of her father with the utmost regards.

Before she could open her mouth to ask the woman a question, his hoarse voice filled the air and her own caught in her throat.

**I was going through the files on my computer and found this lovely piece. So I decided, instead of deleting it, I'll post…man I am such a genius. Just so you know, I personally like the manga versions of everyone, but with Mamoru, I think I'm gonna switch it up. You'll know what I mean in later chapters. Well anyway, tell me what you think. **


End file.
